Considering the minor settlements of England's Danelaw--villages known as thorps or throps--this history demonstrates how place-name evidence can be used to understand early cultures. By integrating linguistic and archaeological approaches, it establishes a compelling connection between the creation of these place-names and the fundamental changes taking place in the English landscape between AD 850 and 1250. The integral role of thorps in revolutionizing agricultural practice at that time is thoroughly analyzed.
"The authors consider the siting of 'thorps' and 'throps' in relation to the landscape and to soil types in particular. Amply demonstrating the value of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of early medieval settlement in England, the authors are able to draw important conclusions about the changes in farming that swept the country during this period and by association the process of village nucleation. By examining both the chronology of place-names in 'thorp' and 'throp' and their qualifying elements (notably the presence or absence of personal names), it appears possible to chart both the speed at which arable enterprises farmed in severalty converted to communal cultivation as well as the direction in which the changes spread. There is a sense of real excitement as many fresh insights are revealed in the course of the book"--P. [4] of cover.
Assembling leading experts on the subject, this account explores the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of thousands of villages and smaller settlements in England and Wales between 1340 and 1750. By revisiting the deserted villages, this breakthrough study addresses questions that have plagued archaeologists, geographers, and historians since the 1940s--including why they were deserted, why some villages survived while others were abandoned, and who was responsible for their desertion--offering a series of exciting insights into the fate of these fascinating sites.
This text provides a comprehensive, theoretically coherent and integrated introduction to the world politics of security, international economics and global public policy issues. It also provides a framework for analyzing and understanding ongoing global change and continuity in the modern era.
The magnificent Danube both cuts across and connects central Europe, flowing through and alongside ten countries: Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany. Travelling its full length from east to west, against the river’s flow, Nick Thorpe embarks on an inspiring year-long journey that leads to a new perspective on Europe today. Thorpe’s account is personal, conversational, funny, immediate, and uniquely observant—everything a reader expects in the best travel writing. Immersing himself in the Danube’s waters during daily morning swims, Thorpe likewise becomes immersed in the histories of the lands linked by the river. He observes the river’s ecological conditions, some discouraging and others hopeful, and encounters archaeological remains that whisper of human communities sustained by the river over eight millennia. Most fascinating of all are the ordinary and extraordinary people along the way—the ferrymen and fishermen, workers in the fields, shopkeepers, beekeepers, waitresses, smugglers and border policemen, legal and illegal immigrants, and many more. For readers who anticipate their own journeys on the Danube, as well as those who only dream of seeing the great river, this book will be a unique and treasured guide.
